The head of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan, David Shearer, has remembered 49 UNMISS staff members who have lost their lives since 2011 while serving the mission on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, observed annually on May 29.

Speaking at a commemorative ceremony at UN House in Juba on Monday, Shearer said the UNMISS staff members who laid down their lives paid “the ultimate price in the line of duty.”

The senior official praised the “unsung contribution” of personnel serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), while paying tribute to the men and women of UNMISS.

Shearer, who is also the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, underscored his expectations that peacekeepers must act in a way that is “robust, calm and appropriate.”

He pointed out that UNMISS has been mandated to protect civilians and to build a durable peace. Shearer expressed hope that 2017 will be the year peace prevails for the people of South Sudan.

Some 12,000 military personnel, 1500 police and 2500 civilians, including hundreds of UN volunteers, currently perform their duties under the United Nations flag in locations across South Sudan.